Bangladesh is facing a rising surge of Rohingya arrivals, with 137,000 crossing the border since December and swelling the refugee population to 1.17 million. Women and children make up the vast majority, while 12% are considered especially vulnerable. These movements are part of the wider Myanmar crisis, where persecution and instability continue to drive mass displacement. We are joined today by Pacifist Farooq, Rohingya journalist and activist, to talk about the ongoing crisis.

• Malaysia tops the list for diabetes: Malaysia now ranks 13th globally and first in Southeast Asia for diabetes prevalence, with one in five citizens living at risk. The Ministry of Health has declared a “war on sugar” through taxes, labelling, and advertising bans, but experts warn stronger reforms are needed as complications like heart disease, kidney failure, and amputations loom. We hear thoughts from Professor Dr Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin, president of Diabetes Malaysia.

• Pay to drive up to Genting: Genting Malaysia Berhad will soon impose a private toll fee on vehicles entering Resorts World Genting, citing rising costs of maintaining the mountain road it has funded since the 1960s. Wr discuss reactions.

• Are we getting better at reading data?: Malaysians are becoming more statistically literate, with DOSM’s OpenDOSM platform recording over 11 million views and 200,000 dataset downloads this year. We speak to Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin, chief statistician at DOSM, on what statistical literacy really means and how DOSM makes data accessible.

• Ariana Grande accosted in Singapore: At the Wicked: For Good premier in Singapore, Ariana Grande was accosted by a content creator known for invading celebrity events and sports arenas. The incident underscores wider concerns about harassment of public figures. We discuss.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Sudais Ferhard, Tee Shiao Eek, Sneha Harikannan, Alia Zefri

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Dashran Yohan

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Categories:  technology,  controversies,  film,  health policy

Tags:  statistical literacy,  rohingya refugees,  ariana grande,  wicked,  cynthia erivo,  singapore,  diabetes,  genting highlands,  dosm,